diff --git a/docs/cli-reference.rst b/docs/cli-reference.rst
index c53d64222..df8eebb70 100644
--- a/docs/cli-reference.rst
+++ b/docs/cli-reference.rst
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ See :ref:`cli_tables`.
 
 ::
 
-    Usage: sqlite-utils tables [OPTIONS] PATH
+    Usage: sqlite-utils tables [OPTIONS] PATH [NAMES]...
 
       List the tables in the database
 
@@ -719,6 +719,10 @@ See :ref:`cli_tables`.
 
           sqlite-utils tables trees.db
 
+      Pass one or more table names to restrict the output to just those tables:
+
+          sqlite-utils tables trees.db plants seeds
+
     Options:
       --fts4                 Just show FTS4 enabled tables
       --fts5                 Just show FTS5 enabled tables
@@ -756,7 +760,7 @@ See :ref:`cli_views`.
 
 ::
 
-    Usage: sqlite-utils views [OPTIONS] PATH
+    Usage: sqlite-utils views [OPTIONS] PATH [NAMES]...
 
       List the views in the database
 
@@ -764,6 +768,10 @@ See :ref:`cli_views`.
 
           sqlite-utils views trees.db
 
+      Pass one or more view names to restrict the output to just those views:
+
+          sqlite-utils views trees.db recent_plants
+
     Options:
       --counts               Include row counts per view
       --nl                   Output newline-delimited JSON
diff --git a/docs/cli.rst b/docs/cli.rst
index 78c33b8ae..e41e90142 100644
--- a/docs/cli.rst
+++ b/docs/cli.rst
@@ -747,6 +747,19 @@ You can list the names of tables in a database using the ``tables`` command:
      {"table": "cats"},
      {"table": "chickens"}]
 
+Pass one or more table names to restrict the output to just those tables. This is useful with ``--counts`` against a database that has a large table you want to skip:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    sqlite-utils tables mydb.db dogs cats --counts
+
+.. code-block:: output
+
+    [{"table": "dogs", "count": 12},
+     {"table": "cats", "count": 332}]
+
+The tables are listed in the order you name them. An error is raised, and a non-zero exit code returned, if any of the named tables do not exist.
+
 You can output this list in CSV using the ``--csv`` or ``--tsv`` options:
 
 .. code-block:: bash
@@ -843,6 +856,8 @@ It takes the same options as the ``tables`` command:
 * ``--tsv``
 * ``--table``
 
+As with ``tables``, you can pass one or more view names to restrict the output to just those views.
+
 .. note::
     In Python: :ref:`db.views or db.view_names() <python_api_views>`  CLI reference: :ref:`sqlite-utils views <cli_ref_views>`
 
diff --git a/sqlite_utils/cli.py b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
index c23090283..7ecb2ec38 100644
--- a/sqlite_utils/cli.py
+++ b/sqlite_utils/cli.py
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ def cli():
     type=click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, allow_dash=False),
     required=True,
 )
+@click.argument("names", nargs=-1)
 @click.option(
     "--fts4", help="Just show FTS4 enabled tables", default=False, is_flag=True
 )
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ def cli():
 @load_extension_option
 def tables(
     path,
+    names,
     fts4,
     fts5,
     counts,
@@ -235,6 +237,11 @@ def tables(
 
     \b
         sqlite-utils tables trees.db
+
+    Pass one or more table names to restrict the output to just those tables:
+
+    \b
+        sqlite-utils tables trees.db plants seeds
     """
     db = sqlite_utils.Database(path)
     _register_db_for_cleanup(db)
@@ -249,8 +256,25 @@ def tables(
 
     method = db.view if views else db.table
 
+    if names:
+        existing = set(db.view_names() if views else db.table_names())
+        missing = [name for name in names if name not in existing]
+        if missing:
+            label = "view" if views else "table"
+            if len(missing) == 1:
+                message = "The following {} does not exist: {}".format(
+                    label, missing[0]
+                )
+            else:
+                message = "The following {}s do not exist: {}".format(
+                    label, ", ".join(missing)
+                )
+            raise click.ClickException(message)
+
     def _iter():
-        if views:
+        if names:
+            items = list(names)
+        elif views:
             items = db.view_names()
         else:
             items = db.table_names(fts4=fts4, fts5=fts5)
@@ -293,6 +317,7 @@ def _iter():
     type=click.Path(exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, allow_dash=False),
     required=True,
 )
+@click.argument("names", nargs=-1)
 @click.option(
     "--counts", help="Include row counts per view", default=False, is_flag=True
 )
@@ -312,6 +337,7 @@ def _iter():
 @load_extension_option
 def views(
     path,
+    names,
     counts,
     nl,
     arrays,
@@ -332,10 +358,16 @@ def views(
 
     \b
         sqlite-utils views trees.db
+
+    Pass one or more view names to restrict the output to just those views:
+
+    \b
+        sqlite-utils views trees.db recent_plants
     """
     assert tables.callback is not None
     tables.callback(
         path=path,
+        names=names,
         fts4=False,
         fts5=False,
         counts=counts,
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 064026a0b..9c9487255 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -140,6 +140,57 @@ def test_tables_schema(db_path):
     ) == result.output.strip()
 
 
+def test_tables_specific_names(db_path):
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli, ["tables", db_path, "Gosh2"], catch_exceptions=False
+    )
+    assert '[{"table": "Gosh2"}]' == result.output.strip()
+
+
+def test_tables_specific_names_preserve_argument_order(db_path):
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli, ["tables", db_path, "Gosh2", "Gosh"], catch_exceptions=False
+    )
+    assert '[{"table": "Gosh2"},\n {"table": "Gosh"}]' == result.output.strip()
+
+
+def test_tables_specific_names_with_counts(db_path):
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli, ["tables", db_path, "Gosh", "--counts"], catch_exceptions=False
+    )
+    assert '[{"table": "Gosh", "count": 0}]' == result.output.strip()
+
+
+def test_tables_missing_name_errors(db_path):
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.cli, ["tables", db_path, "Gosh", "nope"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "The following table does not exist: nope" in result.output
+
+
+def test_tables_multiple_missing_names_errors(db_path):
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.cli, ["tables", db_path, "nope", "nope2"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "The following tables do not exist: nope, nope2" in result.output
+
+
+def test_views_specific_names(db_path):
+    db = Database(db_path)
+    db.create_view("v1", "select 1")
+    db.create_view("v2", "select 2")
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        cli.cli, ["views", db_path, "v2"], catch_exceptions=False
+    )
+    assert '[{"view": "v2"}]' == result.output.strip()
+
+
+def test_views_missing_name_errors(db_path):
+    db = Database(db_path)
+    db.create_view("v1", "select 1")
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(cli.cli, ["views", db_path, "nope"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "The following view does not exist: nope" in result.output
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "options,expected",
     [